Photo: Djmig.cz—CC BY-SA 3.0
Jarmila Kratochvílová
TCHWomenJarmila Kratochvilova, born on January 26, 1951, is a Czechoslovak former track and field athlete who specialized in the 400 and 800 metres. She holds the distinction of setting the longest-standing world record in athletics: her 800 metres mark, set in 1983, still stands today. Only Pamela Jelimo and Caster Semenya have come within a second of that time since it was set.
Kratochvilova won two gold medals at the 1983 World Athletics Championships, claiming both the 400 metres and 800 metres titles and setting a world record in the 400 metres. She also earned a silver medal in the 4x400 metres relay at those same championships. At the 1980 Olympics, she won a silver medal in the 400 metres.
Indoors, Kratochvilova was equally formidable. In 1982, she set the world indoor record in the 400 metres at 49.59 seconds, a mark that stood until 2023. Her versatility across distances and surfaces made her one of the most remarkable middle-distance runners in the history of the sport.
As of Sep 18, 2026: 400 m 47.99 (#4 all-time), 800 m 1:53.28 (#1 all-time), 1987 season best 1:57.81 (Aug 31, 1987, Stadio Olimpico, Roma (ITA)) · Olympic Games: 1 silver · World Championships: 2 gold, 1 silver · World record (800 m) · 75 years old
Personal bests
Medals
| 🥇 | 🥈 | 🥉 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| World Championships | 2 | 1 | - | 3 |
| Total | 2 | 2 | - | 4 |